(West Plains) – Howell County Health Department Director Chris Gilliam announced that WIC services, or Women, Infants, and Children, continue to be provided by the Health Department, in spite of the current government shutdown.

The health department is able to continue to offer WIC services due to temporary state funds, although indications at this point are that funding will run dry after October 31 if Congress fails to come to an agreement to reopen the government by the month’s end.

The WIC program is a supplemental nutritional program that provides healthy food, breastfeeding support, infant formula and other necessities. A Forbes study says that roughly 8.9 million mothers and children are at risk if the government does not pass funding.